7/8/08 10 on Tuesday: Kitten Edition

Things still aren't that interesting around here, but I promised that I'd post, so today we're doing 10 on Tuesday: Kitten Edition. I haven't mentioned the kittens all that much because I'm worried that if I start all of my sentences with "The kittens did this...", then people will think that I'm becoming a crazy cat woman. (Hey! I have 4 cats! I AM a crazy cat woman!) Still, just in case any of the rest of you are crazy cat women too, here's 10 things about the new kittens.

One- The shelter told us that they were litter trained when we got them, and for the most part, they do a good job. There have been just a few accidents. Like the first dull day that they were home, and one forgot how to get from the kitchen back down the stairs to the litter box. He tried though. And you know the closest thing in the kitchen that looks like a litter box? That's right- the air vent in the floor. (I couldn't figure out why the kitchen smelled like poo when the AC kicked on). Do you have any idea how hard it is to get kitten poo out of an air duct? Tony does. Luckily, he was able to get all of it, and then I sprinkled enough Arm and Hammer baking soda into the duct to permeate the entire house. There was also a reminder lesson on how to get back to the litter box from the kitchen.

Two- The other "Oops!" happened in Tony's hockey bag. The kittens like to sleep on top of the bag downstairs, so I'm not sure why someone thought it was a good idea to pee in it. (Probably trying to cover up sweaty hockey gear smell). Tony had to wash all of his gear, and the bag. I guess the kittens aren't hockey fans. On the positive side, Tony's gear was due for a good scrubbing anyway. A second litter box was added downstairs as a more enticing alternative. What can you do? They're just babies. Hopefully that will be the extent of the "oopses" though.

Three- So far, the big boys are doing a wonderful job with the little boys. Mason still hisses at them when they get within a foot of him, but Dixon isn't hissing at all anymore. Last night, all four boys were on the couch and chaise at the same time. (Well, Mason was pretending that he didn't see the others, but no one else was bothered). We've come a long way from even refusing to be in the same part of the house with the new interlopers. The kittens aren't bothered at all by Mason's hissing, and just continue right on doing whatever it was that got them too close to him in the first place.

Four- In case you were wondering, we put the new kittens downstairs in my spa room. They have their food, cat bed, and two litter boxes down there. We put them down there at night, and when we aren't home. We let them out when Tony's home for lunch and in the evenings. The idea is that the spa room is their turf, and the living room/kitchen is neutral ground. Our bedroom is the big boys' turf. This way, they can mingle if they want, or they can have their own space.

Five- Originally, we didn't want the kittens going upstairs at all, so we bought a 2'x4' plastic fluorescent light cover to put in front of the stairs. (It was cheap and sturdy without being able to be climbed...those little buggers climb everything!) We set it up in front of the stairs and patted ourselves on the back for about 5 minutes...which was how long it took for the kittens to realize that they have a vertical leap that can clear a 2' barrier. Nothing makes a kitten want to do something more than being told that they can't. We spent a good half an hour trying to keep them from going "over the wall" as it were, but then we just gave up. The big boys were up on our bed, and the kittens haven't figured out how to get up there yet. So Mason and Dixon still have their turf...it's just shrunk a little.

Six- The other place that was a Mason/Dixon only spot was out on the screened-in porch. Dixon could really care less about being out there, but Mason loves it. We have a cat door that leads from the kitchen to the porch, and the kittens don't know how to use it. Scratch that. The kittens DIDN'T know how to use it. Mason and I were out there potting new petunias (4" pots for $1 at Home Depot!) when Pop! Out came a kitten. Then Pop! Another kitten rolled through the cat door. After that, they were back and forth, back and forth all day. Magellan still thinks that he has to scratch at the door before going back inside, but then he just pushes his way through. I thought Mason would be upset, but he seems to be under the impression that if he ignores them, maybe they'll go away.

Seven- We absolutely have to find some kitten-sized Soft Paws! These are the little caps that you glue onto needle-point kitten claws to keep yourself and your furniture from being ripped to shreds. Tony and I have been trying to get some for the past week without success. Wal-Mart doesn't have them. Kroger doesn't have them. Pet Care Warehouse didn't even know what they were. Pet Supplies Plus had them, but they were out of kitten-sized! My kingdom for some Soft Paws!

Eight- Speaking of our pitiful lack of Soft Paws, Tony and I are covered in puncture wounds. It's not like the kittens mean it, but every time they try to jump up into our laps, or try to walk on our legs, or get excited during play time, the claws come out. Little razor sharp claws. I look like I've been in a fight with a food processor. Ironically, the song Cat Scratch Fever came on the radio as I was driving into work this morning. Fitting. What are those symptoms again?

Nine- I have to take the kittens back for their three month worm shots in a few weeks. We do vet trips in shifts, with older boys going one day, and little boys going the next. Otherwise, I'd have to get a moving dolly to wheel in all the cat carriers, and I'm not sure that would go over well.

Ten- Do you know what kittens love to eat more than anything? Cat Chow. You know what they can't have? Cat Chow. They want Mason and Dixon's food so much, they can hardly stand it. I tried telling them that they'll be able to switch over in another 8 months, but they don't listen. Meanwhile, do you know what Mason and Dixon love more than anything? Kitten Chow. You know what they can't have? Kitten Chow. I told them that eating kitten chow will make them fat, and that according to the kittens, the cat chow is much tastier, but they don't listen. It's like a Three Stooges episode, trying to keep kittens out of the cat food and cats out of the kitten food. They're all crazy fast too.

So that's what the kittens are doing. Eating the wrong food, peeing in hockey bags, jumping over barriers, puncturing me with kitty claws. But being so cute that they're worth every second. What's a cat mom to do?